EFRA Inquiry: Animal Welfare

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Sub-Committee is currently holding a series of short inquiries on animal welfare. The first inquiry focuses on domestic pets, which includes horses.

The deadline for written submissions was 17th March 2016 and we were thrilled that EFRA received 263 replies, which includes ours and many of our supporters.

The sub-committee are now holding oral evidence sessions which anyone can attend (we have been to a few). These are televised and recordings (plus access to all the written submissions) can be found here.

From the meetings we have attended we can confirm there is a very sincere group of MP’s and supporting staff conducting proceedings. The calibre of witnesses (including Lee Hackett of BHS and Roly Owers of WHW) and their evidence thus far is impressive and enforcement is regularly raised in the evidence, which is reassuring as that is the very thing we are campaigning for!

But when the committee presents its evidence, presumably to Liz Truss and George Eustace, will they listen? We have to keep the pressure on and let them know we expect them to listen and act!